The speaker discusses the rise of authoritarian leaders worldwide, citing examples of Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Rodrigo Duterte. They note the alarming global trend towards these leaders and attribute it, in part, to the current backsliding democracies.
The speaker identifies three common traits of authoritarian leaders:
1. Projecting strength: Authoritarians often use grand displays of force or military parades to project strength.
2. Demonizing enemies: They tend to identify and sometimes manufacture groups of evildoers from whom they claim to be the saviors.
3. Dismantling institutions: As they gain power, they often try to weaken checks and balances, such as courts and legislatures.
The speaker points out that these traits can be seen in the actions and statements of current US President Donald Trump. They express concern that Trump's authoritarian tendencies could lead to a more authoritarian America.
Despite this, they note that while Trump has done terrible things as president, the institutions have generally been strong enough to hold up against his most authoritarian instincts. They caution that while democracy can be frustrating, removing its checks and balances opens the door to something much worse.
They conclude by warning that the rise of authoritarianism is a global issue that requires vigilance and caution, even in democracies like the United States.
Here are some possible key facts extracted from the text:
1. The text is a transcript of a segment from the show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, where he discusses the rise of authoritarian leaders around the world.
2. The text identifies three common traits of authoritarian leaders: projecting strength, demonizing enemies, and dismantling institutions.
3. The text gives examples of authoritarian leaders such as Vladimir Putin, Rodrigo Duterte, Viktor Orban, and Jair Bolsonaro, and how they use these traits to gain and maintain power.
4. The text also compares Donald Trump to these authoritarian leaders, and points out some of his similar behaviors and rhetoric.
5. The text argues that democracy can be frustrating and slow, but it is better than authoritarianism, and that people need to be vigilant and protect the institutions that check the power of the president.